The Past: Memories
by subdereality
Summary: Koenma has a mission for the Urameshi team, but things doesn't quite turn out to be alright. While waiting in Keiko's ramen shop, Koenma meets someone from his past, someone that he thought he would never see again...
1. Chapter 1

**~~~The Past, The Present And The Future~~~**

**~~~The Past - Memories~~~**

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* * *

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**Chapter 1 - Memories, Vengeance And Dreams**

* * *

"Yusuke! Yusuke!" yelled a frantic voice, just seconds after a loud crashing sound was heard throughout nearly the whole apartment in the middle of the city. The digital clock on the bedside table showed the time as 7.00 am.

The girl glared irritably at a boy sleeping on the bed soundly and tried calling a few more times, her voice getting louder and louder each time she shouted.

"Get up, Yusuke!" she said angrily, her blue ponytail shaking in anger. She tried slapping him a few times, but quickly removed her hand from the drooling face. She then took the body by the shoulders and began shaking it violently, attempting to wake the boy up.

_*That pig, why doesn't he wake up?*_ grumbled the girl, determined not to let go until she got his attention. Right to the moment, the boy was still sleeping soundly.

Yusuke was just opening a sleepy eye when someone shook him with the force of an earthquake. Yusuke opened his brown eyes in shock to see a pair of pink eyes staring at him urgently. _*Oh no...*_ muttered Yusuke in heart and sat up groggily on his bed.

"Huh, Botan? What are you doing here so early in..." Before Yusuke could finish the sentence, Botan interrupted him impatiently. Botan seemed very anxious and panicky. Rivulets of sweat ran down her forehead and she was panting heavily.

"Urgent stuff, Yusuke. Koenma has a very important message for you." As she said that, she threw Yusuke a briefcase bearing the character 'Rei' on a corner. Yusuke threw Botan a dirty look because this wasn't exactly the perfect idea of waking up. Now he knew that Botan could shake people like a rag doll.

With quick and deft fingers, he opened the briefcase and looked at a blank screen. "Reikai investigators don't have holidays as school gives us. I don't deserve to be treated like this, I'm still a human more or less. This had better be important or I'll never forgive you for this... You know my days off are very important to me," Yusuke grumbled loudly and glared daggers at Botan.

After a few minutes of static, still no picture.

"Hey! What is all this crap? How come there's no picture?" said Yusuke, hammering the briefcase with his fist.

"Hands away!" warned Botan, already standing straight with her oar in her hands.

"Watch it!" Yusuke had just managed to get his hand away before Botan slammed the top with the flat part of her oar. "That's dangerous!" growled Yusuke and looked at his fingers.

"That damned box needs to be treated like this sometimes," explained Botan, after knocking it. She kept her oar away with a wave of her hand and sat down on the floor.

The screen began to spit and splutter. Koenma appeared after 10 seconds of static, chewing intently on his blue pacifier, or better known as the Fuumaken. He was still dressed in his typical Koenma manner, with a pair of kungfu style pants and a bib. Over his small head drooped a huge floppy hat that was larger than his body. George, the blue oni was standing stiffly beside Koenma, as any other faithful and obedient servant might do. Koenma's desk was also in a mess with mountains and mountains of papers everywhere. Koenma himself also looked rather untidy with his hair sticking out one side.

"Yusuke, I have a very important mission for you now. This mission is more difficult than 'Mission Impossible'. Let me remind you once more, be careful and ..." As Koenma said that, Yusuke let out a sleepy yawn, showing his disinterest for Koenma's usual introduction.

"Koenma, cut the crap and let's get straight to the point, okay?" said Yusuke at Koenma tiredly, and he received a rough nudge in the ribs from Botan, reminding him not to be rude to Koenma. Yusuke shrugged off Botan easily and leaned back on one elbow.

"Okay, if that's what you want. The Reikai is very proud of you because you have finally destroyed Sensui. Now, Reikai is once again peaceful. A few days ago, we sensed a very strange and powerful energy field somewhere near the borders of Makai and Ningenkai."

"So what am I supposed to do?" interrupted Yusuke impatiently.

"Yusuke, let me explain it all first!" yelled an exasperated Koenma.

"Whoa, calm down. Getting angry is very bad for you," said George, patting Koenma on the back. Koenma relaxed and calmed down.

"This energy isn't Reiki or Youki, but a totally different power. Don't disparage it, it is every bit as powerful as Reiki or Youki. Reikai has never experienced such power and it might pose great danger to all three worlds. I'm afraid that this power could be three times more powerful than Raizen, maybe even more. Because this threatens the well being of all of us, I'll go through this mission personally with your Reikai special investigator team. According to some sources, this group of people may range from 3 to 7, each with a different ability. Please contact Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara immediately as we might need their help," said Koenma.

"Do you have any idea what is happening down there?" asked Yusuke, beginning to show interest in the assignment.

"Well, Reikai has a special prison in Makai where we kept some of the most dangerous criminals there. The castle has a reiki or youki barrier where neither side could use their power against each other in between this wall. Although it was the Reikai that erected this system, we can't see what's happening inside. Simple things such as checking their youki is also impossible, unless we free them. To tell the truth, I do not have the slightest idea what is happening inside," confessed Koenma.

"Anyway, one more question. Where are you going to meet us? You can't just simply wander around in the streets of Ningenkai like that," said Yusuke and scratched his chin, narrowing his eyes at Koenma.

"I'll meet you all at Keiko's ramen shop in two hours' time. Yusuke, all our hopes lies in you," As Koenma finished his speech, the picture spluttered and died out, leaving only static behind.

"What? Two hours? How am I going to find all of them, especially Hiei? That youkai is always disappearing. Now, I don't even know where he is, in Makai or in Ningenkai..." exclaimed Yusuke desperately scratching his already tousled hair.

"Well, you have to find him somehow. I'll help you," answered Botan enthusiastically, sitting down on a cushion on the floor.

"Duh!" came the reply as Yusuke began combing his hair.

-  
After talking with Yusuke, Koenma stepped down from his ridiculously huge leather armchair and paced around. Things had been getting out of hand lately. Enma-Daiou had gone off for a holiday, again! Leaving his poor son in a midst of paperwork. Problems seemed to arise one after another. Why did demons from Makai always seem to find ways out to Ningenkai? Didn't they have anything better to do?

Koenma couldn't stand to think about this question for one more second so he quickly transformed into his teenage form. As he walked out of his office, he stopped by the wall mirror to check his hair and clothes. Of course he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the rest...

As he was priming his hair, he suddenly realized how handsome he looked without his pacifier. In fact, he belonged to the category of 'bishounen'. That reminded him what Enma had said to him a little while back. "Koenma, you are not young anymore. Before long, you are to take my place. But before that, you must find yourself a mate..."

As Koenma recalled his words, his face flushed a shade of pink. He suddenly felt a stab of pain in his heart and his eyes began to go mist over... Koenma closed his momentarily and took a deep breath. He bit back that feeling forcefully. Koenma took a final look at his outfit and went off in a huff.

-  
Yusuke pulled his jeans up and put on a clean white t-shirt. He combed his hair into his usual style and began pacing about in his room, then stopped and went downstairs. Atsuko was off at her present husband's house so there was no one in the apartment.

He stopped by the phone and began punching in Kurama's phone number. A sleepy voice answered the phone. Yusuke recognized it as the voice of Shuiichi, the human body that Kurama possessed. He told him that Koenma had a new mission in hand and planned to meet them all. Kurama's sleepy voice agreed and hung up.

"Kurama as a youko sounds a lot different..." thought Yusuke to himself as he remembered the more mature voice. Yusuke shook his head as he remember the scene in that Dark Tournament with Kurama emerging as a silver youko. *It was so amazing... Who would have thought that Kurama is actually a centuries-old fox?*

Yusuke dialed Kuwabara's number. Kuwabara was not as polite as Kurama was when woken up that early in the morning. A string of bad words soon followed:-

"Urameshi! What the hell made you call that early! Tell me which f***ing asshole and I'll make that asshole eat his own shit!" cursed a very angry Kuwabara.

"Cool down, baka! Nobody forced me to phone you. The Reikai special investigation team has a new mission," shouted Yusuke, holding the phone receiver away from his ears.

"Oh yeah? Tell me what it is. I'm always ready to take up any challenge," professed Kuwabara eagerly.

Yusuke filled him in on the details, and Kuwabara agreed to see Koenma with him. _*Even that stupid fool sounds excited,*_ thought Yusuke with a smile on his face.

"Now, we only have Hiei to find. That guy is always so weird, wandering in between Makai and Ningenkai." Yusuke then asked Botan if she knew any way to contact Hiei. Botan took out her collection of 7 Reikai Investigation special tools and selected a whistle.

Botan stuck the whistle's mouthpiece in between her lips and took a deep breath.

"Oh no, not that..." As he said that, he jammed his fingers in his ears. Kurama told him once that one of the seven Reikai investigation tools was very harmful to youkai ears. *Oh great, I'm half-toushin now and it's all Raizen's fault!* Even with his ears plugged he could still hear the loud blast of the whistle. Then, a dark shape fell past the window.

Yusuke told Botan that it must be Hiei. Both of them ran out of the apartment and took the elevator down. They reached the front of the building and saw Hiei all curled up in a pile of limbs. He apparently had been sleeping on the rooftop. Hiei quickly collected himself and dusted the debris off his black clothes. He flipped his cloak over his shoulders and gritted his teeth irritably.

"Why the hell did you blow that whistle! It hurts, stupid! This is the second time you did that!" yelled Hiei to Botan who was still holding the accursed whistle. Hiei was still rubbing his ears and glaring at the ferry-girl.

"I 'had' to because finding you using other equipment is near impossible!" shot back Botan. Hiei just looked away in his typical Hiei-ish behavior, in which he didn't care to say anything further.

"What do you think you can do by just looking away like that?" continued Botan sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

Hiei snorted but he didn't say anything. Botan glared at him, but she also didn't say anything.

"Come on, don't argue." shouted Yusuke over the noise as a heated argument broke out between Hiei and Botan. Botan stuck out her tongue at Hiei while Hiei threw her a dirty look.

"So, what's the big deal?" asked Hiei, obviously irritated.

"Well, it's about our new mission..." Yusuke began explaining. By the time Yusuke had finished, they realized that they were late for Koenma's meeting by around half an hour...

Little did they know that this would lead them to memories, vengeance and dreams that might not always be there - adventures that could only happen once in a lifetime.


	2. Chapter 2

**~~~The Past, The Present And The Future~~~**

**~~~The Past - Memories~~~**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - An Untold Story, A Secret Tale**

* * *

It was very quiet.

Too quiet.

There was only one single person in his mind.

Yamaro.

That name was very familiar to him, if not to the extent of repeating itself like a voice in his head. Yamaro was his destiny, his life and everything worthy he had in his life. Yamaro was a S-  
class demon; a very powerful type, especially with his ability to manipulate human and youkai minds. He himself had met Yamaro long time ago, long before his confinement in this dark and miserable place.

It was so long ago that he could not even remember when, but he would never forget how well Yamaro had treated him. He gave him love. Love was the only thing that helped him to survive his imprisonment here. Yamaro gave him a wonderful feeling called 'love'.

Before this, he was a cold and distant figure. Ever since he knew such a feeling named 'love' existed in his heart, he was forever thirsty for more.

An alliance was formed between the two of them. An invincible alliance. Nobody could get through their defenses without getting killed.

_*How did I get confined to this place?*_ asked Murashi silently to himself. Eons ago, he and Yamaro were two of the most powerful youkai around. At that time, Raizen, Mukuro and Yomi had not risen to power yet. Murashi's mouth turned up to form a smirk. _*They are only weak warriors. Weak warriors don't deserve to have a try with us.*_

In every corner of Makai, his and Yamaro's names were sacred. Feared in every aspect of power, wealth and intellect. He sensed the fright in souls everywhere he went. Fright and dark emotions were so good to play with. Murashi laughed out aloud. Those were the days...

Like a dream, all of that were dissolved into the sands of time.

Ningenkai and Reikai tasted sweet. Sweet as honey. Portals were opened in every single part of Makai for easy access to the two worlds, enabling youkais and any other living creatures to get through. Yamaro had a secret dream. A dream that linked three worlds together as one, the light, the dark and humanity.

Together, they formed a plan for the ultimate battle between the light and the dark. Attacks were made on Reikai and Ningenkai. He could remember how Yamaro used to celebrate victory after victory. Terror in everybody's faces was like wine in his throat. _*Why terror?*_ Murashi had thought many times before. This question had intrigued him all along. Shouldn't it be fine if there were portals everywhere? He inhaled sharply and closed him eyes. The sweet scent of human blood was so tempting and delicious, but he knew that he wouldn't taste it ever again.

Murashi didn't sense the danger it posed. At least not to him. Ningens didn't know anything about their plans, only Reikai. Reikai. That word should never be said in front of Yamaro. It was a banned word. Taboo in his presence.

Reikai had never been so interrogative about their plans. _*Those in Reikai are just a bunch of weaklings,*_ spat out Murashi and gritted his teeth. His eyes snapped open and narrowed into a line.

It was one fateful day that Enma-Daiou finally showed his true powers for them to see. A tear dropped from Murashi's eyes from how painful defeat was to him. The feeling itself was terrible, like someone had torn out his heart and ripped it into pieces. Murashi softly fingered a deep scar on his chest where Enma's Reiki sword had wounded him seriously. His scars were nothing compared to Yamaro's. He didn't only suffer physical scars, but also emotional scars. Scars that were impossible to heal, even after a millennium.

Defeat was bitter. Murashi knew it himself. One could never feel the humiliation without having been defeated. Defeat was the contrast of victory. He had turned to Yamaro on the brink of defeat. It just wasn't fair. They didn't deserved to be defeated just like that.

He could still remember the nights which they had spent together in each other's arms and warmth. Yamaro was a handsome man with a picture prefect body like that of a god. He could also feel the soft lips kissing him in a way that he felt was heavenly. Again, he gave him love. Yamaro had turned him from a cold warrior into a passionate lover.

*Luckily I still have him.*

A voice came shouting across the hallway, sending him straight out of his sweet and painful dreams. "Murashi! Lord Yamaro wants to see you now!" Murashi yelled back a rude answer and slipped into his clothes quickly.

Slowly and shakily, he stood on his feet and fingered his own face. He had the delicate skin of a woman and an ivory complexion. Sometimes, he wished that he was a woman not a man. He turned walked towards Yamaro's place. The hallway was dark and god knew that what type of Makai insect lived here.

He stopped in front of a pair of large wooden doors. On the sides of each door, sat a fierce looking stone lion. Sitting there, waiting to swallow anyone. Lions of evil and darkness.

Murashi knocked on the door and he heard a smooth voice beckoning him to go in. Yamaro's voice. Murashi walked in slowly and saw Yamaro staring at a huge crystal ball.

"What is your command, my dear?" asked Murashi as he looked around for any presence of a third party. Seeing on one, he walked over to Yamaro and sat down daintily.

"This time, we'll be able to free ourselves and our men from the everlasting bond of Justice. We have been locked here for such a long time and that even the feel of sunlight has long abandoned me. Now, I can sense the smell of freedom and before long, we will be in Ningenkai, ruling our kingdom together," answered Yamaro, in an unusually good mood.

"Really? That will be fine for we have been together through thick and thin. We have been locked up here for more than a thousand years and I could use some freedom. But... who is going to free us? I thought only the one of great Divinity has the power to do so..." said Murashi teasingly and ran his index finger through Yamaro's thick mane of hair.

"Yes, it's true. After years and years of searching and investigating, I have found that person." With a flick of his wrist, the huge crystal's swirling lights consolidated to form an image. It showed a picture of a beautiful teenage schoolgirl with a strange hairdo. She had such delicate feminine features that she was breathtaking, her ivory complexion was flawless. She was in a background of a coffee-shop, talking and laughing with her friends.

A human? Why was she a human? One of great Divinity would never reside in a mere human!

"Does she really have the power to free us? She looks really young and weak..." said Murashi, expressing his lack of confidence in the girl as her sweet laughter echoed around them.

"No, she has no real power within herself, but she has some very important connections with Reikai. I had uncovered this secret in an attempt to hack into Reikai's internal computer system. It seems that this girl had a close relationship with the Enma Junior. Here, I have already downloaded all the files and we must study them to see ways to blackmail Enma-Daiou into letting us go..."

"Okay, it will be as you wish, we will deal with this girl later on... For now, let's enjoy out free time first, since we will be very busy after this." Murashi stretched a finger towards the lamp and the lights went off.

* * *

Koenma was tired of waiting for Yusuke and his friends. Keiko herself had came to serve him, but he didn't order anything. Enma-Daiou was pretty strict about his allowance nowadays. "I should have reported to the child-abuse hot-line about this asking a teenager to do a lot of work while giving meager salaries," a random thought from Koenma who was currently dying of boredom. He chewed on his pacifier more intently than ever and wiped away the sweat which were forming on his forehead.

The song 'Love Sensation' was blaring out loud in Keiko's shop. Koenma had gotten tired of hearing it again and again. When he sat down to think, he had a bad habit of sucking his pacifier. He knew he looked odd with the pacifier but he couldn't live without it. The pacifier had practically grown up with him and it did serve a purpose too. A wry smile lit up his face as he recalled how Yusuke had asked him how good the pacifier felt in his mouth. _*The tanteis... They are such good friends to me...*_

Of all sudden, he hated this word - love. He hated this word ever since... Koenma gritted his teeth and forced himself to think of the situation back in Reikai.

Youki... S-class youkais... Koenma sighed unhappily.

Some girls walked past him and made a comment about his pacifier. Koenma took out his pacifier and threw them a suave yet charming smile. The schoolgirls threw him flying kisses and giggled loudly. Koenma just looked away as a cold bead of sweat ran down his forehead.

Girls...

Koenma was losing his patience by now. Perhaps he should go back to Reikai to contact Botan. Time was gold and everything, after all. When he thought of office documents piling higher and higher every second, he let out a groan. Maybe he would have to miss his sleep tonight or even worse, for three days consecutively. He walked towards the counter to tell Keiko that he was leaving. Suddenly, a voice caught his ear. It was a female voice, high, lilting and beautiful. Koenma froze. That sounded familiar. Koenma closed his eyes for a while, letting that voice float around the air around him.

That voice drove straight into Koenma's head and dug out his memories... Sweet old memories of his past...

* * *

It had happened a long time ago, deep within the hidden nooks and crannies of the Imperial Reikai palace. A place where all matters were executed in the dark, kept a secret from prying eyes and ears. A place of conspiracies and collaborations.

_150 years ago..._

_In an ancient world, warring countries and feudalism were common. Chauvinistic behavior was considered a normal action. When a disagreement occurred, two feuding nations would always launch a war leaving the people to suffer the most. Two common ones were the state of Shu and Kin. Both were powerful nations, each determined to gain control of the entire Asian continent. Other than these two nations, there were some small states too, victims of bloodshed._

_In the midst of this confused state, not all the warlords were that power crazy. Far across the oceans lying in the far south, there was once a small country, ruled by a kind and caring warlord. That was the state of Wei. The warlord was a kind person, he refused to see his people suffer in silence. He lived there, in the midst of a magnificent palace, with his most prized possession - his daughter, a princess, the lily of the state._

_One day, a diplomat sent by the ruler of Shu came to pay a 'small' visit. A visit, yet it was not at all 'small' to the state of Wei._

_The king sat on the throne, waiting for the diplomat. A few minutes passed, still no sight of the diplomat. He tapped his fingers on his throne anxiously and glanced up at the opened wooden screen doors. After a few minutes, a lithely built man walked up the red carpet, giving a little bow as a meager sign of respect. Soft footsteps echoed through the long hallway, creating a strong eerie touch to the silent space. King Wei nodded slightly, acknowledging the humble respect._

_"Your highness, the Shu had pledged harmony between both countries. Here is the agreement," said the diplomat. His two followers stood there, with their head bowed._

_"Really unconditional?" asked King Wei, after glancing cursorily through the formal agreement._

_"Our lord has something to be advised to your highness personally. May they be excused?" requested the diplomat politely and smiled a little._

_"Yes," said King Wei, beckoning for the servants beside him to retire first. He began to feel suspicious. Something was very amiss. The king merely shoved his suspicions aside, eager to hear what the diplomat had to say._

_The diplomat took a quick glance around for another third party, also beckoning his followers to leave as well. "Since it's customary to present a small gift as your sincerity, I suggest that your highness should think of something that will please my lord," whispered the diplomat softly, yet loud enough for the king on the throne to hear._

_"Do you have any ideas?" asked King Wei cautiously, half afraid to listen on._

_"What about a wife for our eldest prince?" suggested the diplomat._

_"A wife for the crown prince," repeated King Wei thoughtfully._

_"Yes," said the diplomat, still in that soft tone. "I'm sure your highness must have some ideas for the choice of bride."_

_"I'll consider it. Please stay in the imperial guest room and I'll give you an answer in a week's time," replied King Wei, his heart already aching slightly. The diplomat meant his daughter, Misuko-chan..._

_The diplomat smiled graciously and gave a little bow. Slowly, he backed off to the entrance, leaving King Wei to ponder by himself._

_*Psychology wins.* The diplomat decided as he walked along the corridors of the magnificent palace, knowing that the king would make his choice soon._

_

* * *

_

_"Princess Misuko! Princess Misuko!" a servant ran along the garden path leading to an open pavilion. A girl was sitting there, sewing a peony on a piece of satin. The girl's eyebrows were knitted together as she concentrated on her work._

_A closer look showed the girl to be apparently in her mid-teens. She was petite, her frame still considered as small. She had long arched eyebrows and creamy white skin. Her fair complexion complemented her lips, her eyes and her facial features._

_The female servant rushed into the pavilion, alerting the girl. The needle she was holding pricked into her index finger. A drop of blood oozed out and stained the pure white satin, creating a red blotch there. The girl gasped slightly and looked up at the huffing and panting person before her._

_"Your highness, there's a diplomat here!" said the servant, her hair flaring wildly in the wind._

_"Huh? Diplomat?" asked Misuko, disbelieving the servant. Peace missions were rare in these days._

_"Yes, a diplomat. He and the king are discussing something in the throne room. He has ordered everybody out, including his personal servants."_

_"We'll see," answered Misuko happily, glad that there was at last a sign of peace, even though it was faint. But she had a strange feeling. The blood, her own blood staining the white satin frightened her._

_Maybe it was not a good omen._

_King Wei sat glumly in the study. The diplomat's words had repeated themselves over and over again in his mind. *A wife for the crown prince... A wife for the crown prince...*_

_*Is he hinting that I should give dear Misuko-chan to the barbarians?* asked King Wei to himself sadly. Misuko was of marrying age. What should he do? Give Misuko-chan?_

_*No! Never!* King Wei was feeling broken over the two options. Two important options. Two pictures formed in his mind at once. One was of his war-ravaged country in years to come. Another was of his daughter. Undeniably, he couldn't bear to part with his daughter, but he also couldn't bear to see his people suffer. Unconsciously, a tear rolled down his left cheek. A daughter lost..._

_His Queen had been dead for a decade. Every now and then, his subjects would advise him to take a second queen, but he always refused. He had remained loyal and always would be._

_*How am I going to break this news to Misuko-chan?* asked the king miserably. He sat there undecided. He looked backwards and towards the future._

_

* * *

_

_Dawn arose, a few sparrows chirped cheerfully. The king had made his decision. Misuko would have to be sacrificed. An owl crooned sadly against the rising sun. A prediction made, full of tragedy._

_"Misuko-chan, Misuko-chan. Are you there?" A voice was calling and knocking softly outside her room._

_Misuko stood up and ran to get the door. She peeked outside and saw her father there._

_"Otousama, I haven't seen you for a long time. Why are you here?" asked Misuko as her father walked into the room and sat down on a chair. The king just kept quiet. He took a lengthy gaze at his daughter._

_"Otousama, is anything wrong?" asked Misuko._

_"I just want to take a good look at you," uttered the king simply, at a loss for words. His thinking was confused, then. He did not know how to break the news to his daughter._

_*It will break her heart,* said the king plaintively to himself._

_"What's the matter? You look so unhappy," asked Misuko more boldly this time._

_"Are you willing to do anything for the peace of this country?" asked the king curiously, eager to know how his daughter would react._

_"Yes, of course. I would do anything to see a sign of harmony in this war-ravaged world," answered Misuko, surprised that her father would ask something of this sort suddenly._

_The king took a deep breath. "I will send you as a bride to the crown prince of Shu as a symbol of our sincerity to make peace," he blurted out._

_Misuko's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "No... no... not this fast," murmured Misuko to herself._

_"I'm afraid so." King Wei looked sadly at her. A tear formed at the corner of her eye and dropped down to the carpeted floor beneath her._

_"But otousama, I'm only fifteen..." protested Misuko weakly._

_"Yes. You are fifteen, but you must know that it is the perfect age to find a husband for you. That is the common rule of feudalism. You must understand this point," said King Wei._

_"No... that's not fair!" screamed Misuko, her tears flowing freely now. The very thought of marrying a barbarian scared her. She would be leaving her beloved father and country forever. No! She must not go! But... what about those innocent citizens?_

_"Nothing's fair in this world," trailed the king slowly, trying to calm his daughter down. Misuko broke down into sobs and wept openly. The king stood up and looked down at her._

_"You must make your own decisions. Nothing's fair," said the king, walking out of the room leaving Misuko to think it over._

_

* * *

_

_The clock in the belfry struck midnight. A hunched form sat on the bed, a blanket wrapped around it closely. Thunder rolled across the dark sky with flashes of lightning. Massive black clouds filled the sky, reflecting the emotions the hunched figure was suffering._

_Misuko pulled the blanket even more closely around her. An internal debate was going on inside her._

_*No! You must never marry that barbarian!* One side told her, but Misuko shook her head slowly._

_*My country, my people. I must never let otousama down. I must give in,* Misuko told herself to accept the reality. She could never escape from that, at least not without creating chaos. At that thought, she broke down into more sobs. A thunder crashed and the rain started pouring down with brute force._

_Gradually, the storm passed. Misuko dried her tears and washed her face. She combed her hair into her maiden style and put on her favorite blue gown. Melancholy, she reached behind to tie her sash into a knot. She took one last look at herself in the mirror._

_"I'm ready. Ready to serve my people and country," shouted Misuko aloud. She had already made up her mind. Her fate and destiny decided._

_Then, she walked out of the door quickly._

_The room was silent again, as its owner would never return to it forever._

_

* * *

_

_"Otousama, I'm ready," announced Misuko clearly in the main throne room, kneeling down before her father in front of his subjects. King Wei's expression changed a little, obviously confused that she would change her mind that quickly._

_"Well, if you are ready, I'll call the diplomat in," said King Wei, beckoning to one of his servants to call the diplomat in._

_Minutes later, a well groomed man walked into the throne room. He put his hand in front of him and gave a little bow. "Yes, your highness."_

_"You can go back and tell your king that I shall present my daughter, Princess of Tai Ping, as a gift of sincerity," said King Wei, his voice carrying a tinge of sorrow._

_"Thank you, your highness. I'm set to go back to the state of Shu today anyway. May I accompany the Princess of Tai Ping?" asked the diplomat, smiling at the poor girl._

_"Yes, you may," agreed King Wei, his gaze adverted to Misuko herself. He noticed that Misuko was trembling slightly._

_When the diplomat turned to walk towards the door, Misuko got up and followed him. She took one last look at the familiar architecture, her eyes full of emotions. She gave her father and the building a yearning look. Gently, she mouthed a single word:_

_*Goodbye.*_

_

* * *

_

_The journey to the capital of Shu was a long one: long, winding and bumpy roads stretched from city to city. Misuko had never been out of the state of Wei. Exotic and lush wild shrubs and forests intrigued her. She had never known that there was such beauty outside the walls of the palace, her home._

_One evening, in an inn midway. Misuko was eating lunch with the diplomat. The diplomat was a gentleman, he was very kind and caring towards her. At least it helped that Misuko didn't feel that bad about leaving home so suddenly._

_Strangely enough, the diplomat suddenly spoke._

_"Princess, you must be careful when you meet the crown prince."_

_"Why?" asked Misuko curiously, as the diplomat had rarely spoken to her all day._

_"He is not transparent. He is a complicated person, his temper especially," said the diplomat. Misuko began asking more questions, but the diplomat refused to say anything else._

_The journey lasted for ten days. By the time they reached their destination, it was about evening. The capital of Shu was a grand one with magnificent building adorning wide streets. The diplomat's words still echoed in her mind. *What kind of person is that prince?* Misuko used to wonder many times over but she didn't give it a second thought as it gave her shivers._

_"Princess, we will go into the palace to meet my lord and the crown prince," said the diplomat, stopping. Then, he continued, "Meanwhile, we will stop by an inn to make ourselves presentable."_

_Misuko nodded and her sedan stopped in front of a magnificently decorated inn. She got down from her transport and walked into the inn. The female servant accompanying her trailed closely behind. The servant disappeared for a while. She reemerged, carrying a bundle of clothes. Carefully, she handed the clothes to Misuko and politely ushered her to get changed._

_The servant followed her into her room, but was quickly ordered to retreat. Misuko wasn't accustomed to strangers helping her to dress._

_Misuko walked into her room and locked the door behind her. Slowly, she poured some water from the kettle into the basin and washed her face. She undressed and stuffed her old clothes back into her luggage. She took an observatory glance at the new outfit and got into it gingerly. She straightened her clothes and produced a comb from her sleeves. She combed her long hair neatly and did it up with some hair accessories._

_*I look a lot nicer now,* said Misuko to herself as she walked out of the room and ran down the stairs. The diplomat, also dressed nicely, was waiting for her. Both of them walked outside and got into their sedans respectively._

_

* * *

_

_The way to the palace was quite short, about 10 minutes. Misuko climbed out of her sedan, careful not to crinkle her impressive gown. Misuko and the diplomat walked up straight to the magnificent palace. Misuko's eyes shone with amazement and wonder as she was led through the vast hallways with carpeted floor._

_At last, she and the diplomat sat on a bench outside the main throne room, waiting for the King's summons. An elderly voice drifted through the room and out. Misuko and the diplomat stood up and walked into the room. Misuko looked with awe at the jewels and golden decorations on the wall. Lastly, she took a glance at the king. A man in his sixties was sitting beside a yellow clothed table. A young man in his twenties sat beside him. He was naturally quite handsome, in a dashing way._

_"Your majesty, this is Princess of Tai Ping, Misuko," introduced the diplomat._

_The king nodded slightly. Misuko kept her face down to the ground. "Lift up your head," the young man commanded._

_Misuko looked up, straight into the young man's eyes. The diplomat quickly introduced the young man as the crown prince. They exchanged glances. The crown prince leaned over to his elderly father's left ear and whispered something. The elderly king smiled and nodded._

_The young man walked down along the aisle beside the throne and stood next to the diplomat. Over there, he whispered into the diplomat's ears. The diplomat smiled and nodded excitedly. Misuko just stood there silently, wondering what they were talking about._

_Suddenly, the diplomat took her by hand and walked out of the throne room. Seeing everybody was out of earshot, he told Misuko._

_"Congratulations, Princess. Our Crown Prince liked you at first sight. You will be one of his main concubines in the palace," said the diplomat happily, glad that his mission had turned out perfectly, but Misuko was in another state of emotions._

_"Concubine... I'm a Princess and I'm supposed to be that fellow's concubine?" repeated Misuko angrily._

_The diplomat just shrugged and walked off with her again, this time showing her a room. A tastefully furnished room with satiny coverings on the tablecloth, curtains and bedclothes. Misuko looked sadly at the room. *I'm going to be just a concubine in this place,* thought Misuko plaintively._

_"Get changed and we'll bring dinner for you," said the diplomat before closing the wooden doors behind him. Misuko sat down on the bed, her mind only lingering on one problem. "Will my country be safe?"_

_Misuko wiped her face with her handkerchief. Her mind changed subjects to the Crown Prince's behavior. Why did that diplomat tell her that..._

_The sun began to sink towards the horizon. Misuko fidgeted with her handkerchief, taking a glance at the sky. *It's getting dark,* Misuko told herself. The food that her personal servant sent was cold, lying on the table. Misuko simply didn't have the appetite to eat._

_Misuko sighed and walked to the dresser. She began letting down her hair from the jewelry that elaborately adorned her hair. In fact, she enjoyed letting her hair down freely. She undressed and stripped down to her thin outer clothing. She looked at herself in the full length mirror, seeing her body shape was perfect. As she started to take off her last outer garments, a person suddenly opened the door and walked in. Misuko turned around in shock and held her clothes close to her chest._

_The person looked up at her. It was the Crown Prince._

_"What are you trying to do?" said Misuko calmly, quickly getting into her clothes._

_"I'm your husband, don't you know that?" said the prince, smiling wickedly at her._

_"Don't you dare come any nearer," threatened Misuko._

_"What would you do if I come any nearer?" asked the prince evilly, stepping forward towards Misuko._

_"No, don't..." said Misuko, trying in vain to escape._

_"You will be mine sooner or later," continued the prince._

_Misuko just looked at him. "You have a very nice body," said prince, inching closer towards Misuko every second. Suddenly, he lunged at her. Misuko landed on the ground next to the dresser as the prince got on top of her._

_"Help! Help!" Misuko yelled desperately as the prince hugged her tightly._

_"Sheesh... Nobody would hear you here. Besides I really wanted to see what the 'Lily of Wei' is really like, so we devised a plan to trick your father into giving you," said the prince, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep her silent._

_"Mmmmm!" tried Misuko in vain as the prince began ripping off her clothes. He began taking off his own clothes too. Misuko stared in shock as he planted kisses on her neck and face. Blindly, she reached out to grope around for a weapon._

_Instinctively, she dragged open a drawer and felt about inside. The prince was already biting her neck and other sensitive places. Misuko winced as he bit into her earlobe when suddenly her hand closed around an object. She gripped it like a viper and raised it._

_"Go to hell!" she plunged down with her weapon on his exposed back. The body on top of her stiffened and rolled to the side slowly. The prince looked up at her as a trickle of blood flowed down from his mouth. Slowly, his eyes closed._

_*I have killed somebody.* Misuko thought in shock as she removed and dropped the blood-stained pair of scissors. The prince's body was lying there, lifeless._

_Guilt overwhelmed her._

_*I'll never get out of this,* thought Misuko, still dazed. A tear rolled down from her eyes. Slowly, she picked up the pair of blood-stained scissors up again._

_"I'm sorry, otousama. Sorry for not being able to bring peace you had always wanted..." whispered Misuko as she closed her eyes and stabbed the pair of scissors into her own stomach. Her last feeling was of a sudden pain and nothing else after that._

_And another soul went to the realms of judgment._


End file.
